Menu generator, system and methods for generating clinical menus

Abstract

A method to generate a clinical menu may select a food item from a database. For this method an attribute of a clinical record may be used to influence the food selection. In a particular example, the attribute may serve as an index to assist indexing of the database. The attribute may be based on the level of micronutrients, level of a macronutrients, health condition or food preference of a patent. In another embodiment, the nutritional elements of a food item may be compared to guidelines of a patient, and a selection of the food item may be made dependent on the comparison results. In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, a system may comprise a host operable to access food and client databases, and a client station in communication with the host. A machine-readable storage media may store a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the host, cause it to display and operate an interactive window in the client station to establish an individual identity. The information of the individual may be used to retrieve clinical criteria from a patient database. The instructions may further be operable to influence selection of food items from a food database with preferences dependent on the clinical criteria retrieved.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of generating a clinical menu, comprising: 
 selecting a food item from a database; and    influencing the selection of the food item based on a clinical record of an individual.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 identifying an attribute from the clinical record; and    indexing the database with the attribute;    the selecting to select a record from amongst those of the database of key indexes matching the attribute index.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , in which the indexing is based on an attribute of the group consisting of at least one of a relative level of a micronutrient, a relative level of a macronutrient, a heath condition of the patient, and an eating preference of the patient.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , the selecting and affecting to comprise: 
 determining nutritional elements associated with a food item in the database;    determining nutritional guidelines for the individual based upon their clinical record; and    comparing the nutritional elements determined for the food item to the nutritional guidelines determined for the individual;    the selecting of the food item based on the comparing.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , the comparing to determine a correlation of the nutritional elements of the food item relative to the nutritional guidelines for the individual; and 
 the selecting of the food item based upon the correlation determined.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the comparing determines a correlation of at least one micronutrient of the food item relative to the nutritional guideline thereof for the individual.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , the selecting and affecting to comprise: 
 identifying a nutritional ratio guideline from the clinical record of the individual;    determining a correlation of a nutritional breakdown of the food item of the data bank relative to the nutritional ratio guideline; and    allowing selection of the food item dependent on the correlation determined.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the influencing comprises: 
 determining food allergies, intolerances or dislikes of the individual; and    preventing selection of certain food items within the database based upon the food dislikes or allergies determined.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , in which the affecting further comprises: 
 determining food preferences of the individual; and    favoring the preferred food items in the database during the selecting.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 retrieving the clinical record of the individual from a database; and    the selecting and influencing to comprise: 
 identifying at least one nutritional element of the macro and micro elements for a food item of a food database,  
 determining guideline(s) for such nutritional element(s) dependent on the clinical record retrieved; and  
 comparing the nutritional element(s) identified to the guideline(s) determined therefor.  
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , in which the identifying and the determining are based on a pre-identified malady of the individual.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , in which the selecting and influencing comprises repeating the identifying, the determining and the comparing for each nutritional element of the macro and micro elements.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising incorporating the food item selected into a meal plan for the individual if the nutritional elements of the food item are determined to be within their guidelines as determined therefor from the clinical record of the individual.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , in which 
 the obtaining information of the food items comprises accessing a food database across a network; and    the obtaining the clinical record for the individual comprises accessing a clinical database over the network.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 identifying a day and meal for the menu;    identifying a category and component for the meal; and    obtaining a budget of kilo-calories and grams of protein, fat and carbohydrate as guidelines for the individual;    the selecting to comprise: 
 accessing records of the database with foods matching the category and component identified;  
 retrieving food items from the records accessed to meet the kilo-calorie, protein, fat and carbohydrate budget; and  
 adding one of the food items retrieved as a part of creating the meal for the category and component identified.  
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising repeating the selecting for each category identified for the meal.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , after performing the initial selections for each category of a meal, 
 totaling the kilo-calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates for the food items of the meal just created; and    checking ratios and variances of the proteins, fats and carbohydrates for the food items of the meal from the totaling relative to their pre-determined budgets.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , if the totals of the food items of the meal are outside the budget, then identifying a correction goal; 
 determining a select food item of the meal of smallest variance relative to the targeted budget and correction goal; and    modifying a portion of the select food item to adjust the totals for the meal.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , if the totals of the food items of the meal are within the budget, then selecting a new meal and again performing 
 the identifying of categories and components,    the obtaining a budget for the meal, and    the selecting of the food item.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , the obtaining the budget for the meal to take into account the totals determined for meals previously created.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , the obtaining the budget further to incorporate prescribed foods of the individual.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 prioritizing the categories;    the selecting for each category to handle categories of higher priority before others.    
     
     
         23 . A system comprising: 
 a host having access to a food database and client database;    a client station operable to communicate with the host;    machine readable storage media to store a sequence of instructions in communication with the host, which when executed thereby, cause it to    display and operate an interactive window in the client station to establish information for an individual;    retrieve clinical criteria from a patient database dependent on the information established;    influence food items of a food database with selection preferences dependent on the clinical criteria retrieved for the individual; and    select food items of the food database to generate a meal dependent on the selection preferences.    
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , in which the instructions further cause at least one of the host and client station to display the meal generated in a menu window.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , in which the instructions further cause at least one of the host and client station to 
 identify a clinician from the information gathered;    identify a patient from the information gathered;    determine a clinician-patient relationship between the clinician identified and the patient identified; and    retrieve the clinical criteria for the patient dependent upon the relationship determined.    
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , in which the instructions, when executed by at least one of the host and client station, further cause them to 
 make the influence of food items and the selection of food items for the menu creation contingent upon the presence of a clinician-patient relationship determination.    
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , in which the instructions, when executed by at least one of the host and client station, further cause them to block menu creation and enable food and menu analysis when determining an absence of a clinician-patient relationship.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , in which the instructions, when executed by at least one of the host and client station, further cause them to 
 gather clinical attributes of the patient, the attributes consisting of at least one of the group of age, weight, height, gender, activities, maladies, meal patterns, meal preferences, categories and components, prescription foods, likes, dislikes and intolerances.    
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , in which the client station comprises: 
 a dietitian station to display and operate a dietitian window,    the instructions, when executed by at least one of the host and dietitian station, to cause the dietitian window to prompt and assist a dietitian in a formulation of the clinical criteria of the patient;    at least one of the dietitian station and the host to comprise a patient database to store the clinical criteria formulated;    the instructions, when executed by at least one of the host and dietitian station, further to cause a record for the patient and the clinical criteria to be stored in the patient database.    
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 23 , in which the client station may comprise at least one of a dietitian station and a patient station, the instructions, when executed by at least one of the host, the dietitian station and the patient station, operable to present the interactive window in at least one of the dietitian and patient stations.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising a network to carry signals between the host and client station.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , in which the host comprises a web-site addressable across a network; and 
 the client station comprises a remote computer operable to address the web site of the host and communicate across the network with the host.    
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 23 , in which the host and client stations are part of a single workstation.  
     
     
         34 . A device to generate a clinical menu, comprising: 
 a processing unit;    a machine-readable storage medium to retain instructions for execution by the processing unit;    the machine-readable storage medium storing a sequence of instructions which, when processed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to 
 receive a request from a client station; and  
 responsive to the request received, to exchange data with the client station to 
 configure an interactive web page,  
 determine a patient identity,  
 determine a dietitian identity to be associated with the patient identity, and  
 identify at least one operative to influence clinical menu generation.  
 
   
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 34 , in which the instructions of the machine-readable storage medium, comprise portions effective, when processed by the processing unit, to cause the device to prompt, via the interactive web page, a client for an operative comprising at least one of the group consisting of 
 edit a food database,    edit a clinical record of the patient,    generate a clinical menu for the patient,    proscribe a food item into the clinical record for the patient,    prescribe a food item into the clinical record for the patient,    record eating patterns of the patient, and    retrieve or update an existing menu of the patient; and    influence the selection of food items from the food database during generation of a clinical menu for the patient, the influence to be based on the clinical record for the patient.    
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 a patient database networked to the client station to store clinical records associated with patient identities, the patient database accessible by the processing unit when processing requests of the client station;    a food database to retain nutritional information of a plurality of foods and accessible by the processing unit; and    a dietitian database to store information of dietitian identities accessible by the processing unit when processing requests of the client station.    
     
     
         37 . The device of  claim 36 , the instructions of the machine-readable storage medium, when processed by the processing unit, further to cause it to be responsive to receipt of an operative to generate a clinical menu by 
 retrieving clinical criteria from the patient database based upon the patient identity determined,    selecting food items of the food database dependent on the clinical criteria retrieved for the individual; and    verifying that such selection of the food items conform with at least one of macro and micro nutritional guidelines and any prescribed and/or proscribed food items associated with the clinical criteria of the patient; and    using food items selected and verified to create the clinical menu.    
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 36 , in which the instructions further cause the processing unit to 
 examine information of the dietitian's records within the dietitian database and check for an existence of a dietitian-patient relationship between the dietitian identified and the patient identified; and    make selection of the operatives editing a food database, editing a clinical record of the patient, generating a clinical menu for the patient, and proscribing or prescribing a food item dependent upon the existence of such dietitian-patient relationship.    
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 36 , further comprising a dietitian station to display and operate a dietitian window, 
 the instructions of the machine-readable storage medium, when processed by the processing unit, further to cause it to be responsive to receipt of an operative to edit a clinical record by prompting a dietitian in a dietitian window of the dietitian station to obtain the patient's age, weight, height, gender, activities, anomalies, and allergies.    
     
     
         40 . The device of  claim 38 , the instructions of the machine-readable storage medium, when processed by the processing unit, further to cause it to be responsive to the receipt of an edit operative, by 
 prompting the dietitian through the dietitian window to select at least one of 
 formulate a macro-nutritional objective in the clinical record for the patient,  
 formulate a micro-nutritional objective in the clinical record for the patient, and  
 enter an activity schedule of the patient to formulate a calorie budget in the clinical record for the patient.  
   
     
     
         41 . A network device to interface a customer to a clinical menu station, comprising: 
 a process controller to control a process of at least one input/output device;    a machine readable storage medium in communication with the process controller to retain instructions to be executed by the process controller which, when executed thereby, cause the process controller to 
 present a window to the customer on a screen to query and determine a patient identity; and  
 index a database across the network using the patient identity;  
 obtain a clinical menu for the patient from the database associated with the patient identity; and  
 present the customer the clinical menu.  
   
     
     
         42 . The device of  claim 41 , the instructions further to cause the process controller to prompt the customer in the window for a request consisting of at least one of the group of 
 exchange a food item, and    confirm menu receipt; and    determine a reply of the customer to the prompt.    
     
     
         43 . The device of  claim 42 , the instructions further to cause the process controller to 
 query, responsive to an exchange request, a food database and determine possible replacement food items of nutritional make-up substantially equivalent to the food item requested for exchange;    verify which of the possible replacement food items determined meet clinical criteria of the patient associated with the clinical menu retrieved;    present such verified replacement food items to the patient for selection; and    determine a selection of the patient for one of the replacement food items presented.    
     
     
         44 . The device of  claim 43 , the instructions further to cause the process controller to 
 update a record in a database associated with the patient identity to revise the clinical menu in accordance with the determined selection.    
     
     
         45 . The device of  claim 44 , in which the update comprises sending data to a remote patient database to update, in accordance with the selection determined, eating pattern information for a record of the patient identity.  
     
     
         46 . The device of  claim 44 , the instructions further to cause the process controller to send information to a remote patient database to update, in accordance with the selection determined, eating pattern records for the patient identified.  
     
     
         47 . An article comprising: 
 a machine-readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a control processor, cause the control processor to 
 access a patient database to retrieve a clinical record of a patient; and  
 access a food database to identify a food item of the food database and determine nutritional elements of the food item identified;  
 determine nutritional guidelines from the clinical record retrieved; and  
 compare the nutritional elements determined for the identified food item to the nutritional guidelines determined for the patient; and  
 select, dependent on the comparison, the food item identified for incorporation into a clinical menu for the patient.  
   
     
     
         48 . The article of  claim 47 , in which the instructions of the machine-readable storage medium when executed by the control processor further cause the control processor to 
 determine a correlation of the nutritional elements of the food item identified to the nutritional guidelines determined; and    make the selection of the food item dependent upon the correlation determined.